Gun-barrel-muzzle steadier



M. L. JOHNSTON.

GUN BARREL MUZZLE STEADIER. APPLICATION FILED sEPT.2I. 191B.

1,390,447'. PatentedSept. 13,1921.

A 7 sa I 5 23 6 l5 lf?` IN VENTOR.

MIL-LARI) L. JUHNSTON ATTORNEY.

BILLARD L. JOHNSTON, OF UTICA, NEW YORK.

GUQLBARREL-MUZZLE STEADIER..

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented sept. is, 192i.

Application led September 21, 1918. Serial No. 255,165.

T o all whom t may concern:

' Be it known that LMILLARD L, JOHNSTON, a citizen ofthe United States,residing at Utica, in the county of Oneida and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Gun-Barrel-MuzzleSteadiers, of which the .following is a specication, reference being hadtherein to the accompanying drawing.`

My invention relates to a' gun barrel muzzle steadier, and I declare thefollowing tobe a full, "clear, concise and exact description thereof'sufficient to enable anyoiklie skilled in the art'to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to likeparts throughout the specications.

Theobjebt ot' the invention is to provide a device: that will preventthe jumping of the muzzle upon the discharge of the gun. This result ishighly desirable in view of the fact that especially in all high poweredrilies, the muzzle of the gun will give a suddent )ump upwardimmediately the gun is fired. This motion of the muzzle disturbs the aimof the shooter and causes inching. Moreover, it is directly responsiblefor inaccuracy o f shooting straight. The device here mentioned isintended to correct this evil.

The object will be understood by referring to the drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a firearm, showing the muzzle steadierattached thereto; U

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view, showing a vertical section of themuzzle steadier connected to the gun;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the muzzle steadier;

Fig. 4 is a detail enlarged view of an ad- 'justable nut employed;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of a front sight,

`*showing certain parts in section, that may be connected to the muzzlesteadier.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the device embodies a cupshaped member 1 which has formed integral therewith and at right anglesthereto an elbow 2. The elbow 2 has a central recess and is equipped onits inner surface with left handed threads 3 for attaching the device tothe muzzle 4 of a barrel 5 of the firearm 6. The inner surface of theelbow 2 is threaded also with ri ht hand threads 7 for mounting theadjustable nut 8 provided with a counter sunk recess 9 for the insertionof the end of Abarrel 5.

The lower surface of the cup shaped member -1- is closed by the screwthreaded head 12 that is provided with a counter sunk slot 13 for theinsertion of the end of a suitable tool. The removal of the head 12 willgive access to the interior of the chamber 1() for cleaning purposes.

The cup shapedmember -1- has a long narrow slot 14 the lower end ofwhich is rounded out at 16 to form an opening concentric with the bore11 of the barrel 5 and is somewhat enlarged to permit the passage of abullet projected from the barrel 5. The slot 14 extends upwardly andalong the top surface of the member -1'- for a short distance. t

When the gun is discharged, a part of the gases of explosion willexpankl into the chamber 10 of the cup shaped member -1- and, thereby,exert a pressure downward which pressure will counteract the tendency ofthe muzzle 4 of the barrel 5 to fly upward.

A novel front sight such as hereinafter described may be attached to themuzzle steadier. For this purpose, the top surface of the elbow 2 isequipped with a hollow boss 20 having an internal,l screw threadaperture for the insertion of the screw bolt 21. The lowermost surfaceof the bolt 21 rests, when seated, in an aperture 22 formed in thebarrel 5 of the firearm 6, whereby to aid in holding the muzzle steadierin proper relation to the barrel 5 of the firearm 6. The upper end ofthe screw bolt 21 has formed integral therewith a ring 23 with a centralorifice 24 for the insertion of the end of a cartridge whichis adaptedtobe used to turn the bolt 21 home into the aperture of the boss l2O.

Arms 25-25 extend upward from the ring.

23 and are provided with yielding free ends having teeth 26-26 which fitinto a correspondingly formed annular groove in the shaft 27. The lowerpart 28 of the shaft 27 is corrugated with longitudinal ribs adapted tofit into suitable fissures formed on the inthermore, the shaftl 27 isbent ner 'surface of the arms 25, whereby the shaft 27 can be held at angiven angle to which it may be turned witliin the arms 25. Furat anangle to the vertical at 29 and again at 30 to form an offset portion.The upper end of the shaft 27 is tapered and has attached a ball orsphere 31 which provides a front sight for the gun. The sphere 31 islocated in the center of a ring 32 having a boss 33 with an apertureextending therethrough and through the ring 32 for the projection of theupper end of the shaft 2.7 upon which 1t 1s mounted to turn. The boss issplit and equipped with free yieldingends having teeth 35-35 that engagean annular groove 36in theshaft 27 whereby to hold the r1ng 32 invertical position.

The offset portion of the shaft 27 permits sight 31 within theadjustment of the front the full the range of positions indicated by anddotted lines in Fig. 5.

The top surfaceof the arms25 may be I equipped with a graduated scale todenote the desired degree of arc through which the shaft 27 is turned toeffect a given alinement with respect to the rear sight.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a gun barrel muzzle steadier, -continuous walled depending meansconnected with the muzzle of said barrel, said means having a chamberand a vent above said chamber whereby the tendency of the muzzle to jumpupward is counteracted.

2. In a gun barrel muzzle steadier, a continuous walled dependin gaschamber at-v tached to the muzzle o said barrel, -said chamber having avent above the chamber whereb the tendency of the muzzle to jump upwarupon. the discharge of the gun' is counteracted.

3. In a gun barrel muzzle steadier, a continuous walled depending cupshaped member having an elbow containing a gas chamber with vent abovesaid chamber, means for attaching said cup shaped member` to the muzzleof the gun, whereby the tendency of the muzzle to jump upward upon thedischarge of the gun is counteracted.

4. In a gun barrel muzzle steadier, a continuous walled depending cupshaped member attached to the muzzleof the gun, a

. said barrel.

determinin the position of the cup shaped member re ative to the muzzle,and a slot in said cup shaped member, whereby to permit the gases ofexplosion to escapev from said chamber.

6. In a gun barrel muzzle steadier, a continuous walleddepending cupshaped member attached Ato t e muzzle of the gun, an elbow having arecess with screw threads for mounting said cup shaped member to themuzzle of the gun, a slot in said cup shaped member for permitting thegases of vexplosion .to escape, and a movable head adapted to -be whollywithdrawn from said cup shaped member, whereby to give access totheinterior thereof for cleaning purposes.

7. In a gun barrel muzzle steadier, a depending cup .shaped memberadapted to -ous walled depending vchamber in communication with the boreof said barrel, said means adapted to receive, deiiect and discharge atright angles upwardly into the atmosphere a portion of the forcesexerted initially within the gun barrel against the projectile. j

9. In a gun steadying device a continuous walled depending chamber, avent above said chamber, a projectile outlet and means for attachingsaid device to the gun barrel so as to place the bore thereof incommunication with the chamber.

.10. In a device for steadying the muzzle of a gun barrel at the momentof firing an explosive projectile, a continuous walled depending chamberadapted to be 4in com- 110 munication with the bore of said barrel andto receive, deflect and discharge at right angles upwardly a portion ofthe explosive gases traveling outwardly through said barrel, and meansfor attaching said device to 11. In a device for steadying a gun whenfired, avcontinuous Walled dependingv chamber, a vent. opposite saidchamber, an outlet for a projectile and means `for attaching 12 thedevice to the gun.

12. In a gun barrel muzzle steadier a continuous walled depending gaschamber adapted to receive a portion of the explosive gases anddeflect'same upwardly through a 1 2! vent opposite said chamber wherebythe tendency of the muzzleto jump upwardly is. counteracted.

13. The combination of a. gun barrel adapted to fire explosiveprojectiles and a 181 device for steadying the muzzle thereof,

` said device including acontinuous walled depending chamber incommunication with the bore of said barrel, said means being adapted toreceive, deflect and discharge upwardly at right angles to said bore aportion of the explosive gases, whereby the tendenc for said muzzle tojump upward is nulli ed and counteracted.'

14. In a. device for steadying and counteractingthe upward jump of themuzzle of a gun at the moment of firing, a continuous walled dependingchamber communicating with the bore of the gun barrel and adapted toreceive therefrom a portion of the eX- plosive gases, a vent above saidchamber, an outlet for a projectile, and means for attaching said deviceto said gun barrel.

15. The combination of a gun barrel adapted to fire explosiveprojectiles and a device adapted to steady the muzzle of 'said barrel atthe moment of firing, said device being adapted to be attached to saidbarrel and including continuous walled depending means whereby a portionof the explosive gases are received and deflected downwardly andsubsequently discharged upwardly into the atmos here at right angles totheir initial direction of travel in lsaid bore.

16. The combination of la gun barrel adapted to fire an explosiveprojectile and a device adapted to steady the muzzle of said barrel atthe moment of firing, said device being adapted to be attached to saidbarrel, said device having a` continuous walled chamber depending fromsaid barrel and communicating with the bore thereof, said chamber beinadapted to receive a portion of the explosive gases within said bore anddeflect same downwardly, said means being further adapted tosubsequently discharge said gases upwardly into the atmosphere at rightangles to their initial direction of travel when within said bore.

17. A device adapted to be attached to the barrel of an explosiveprojectile gun, said device having openings registering with the bore ofsaid barrel, said device having a continous walled depending chambercommunieating with said bore through said openings, said chamber adaptedto receive a portion of the explosive gases in their outward travelthrough said bore and to deflect said gases downwardly to besubsequently discharged through a vent in said chamber, said vent beingabove the axis of said bore and above said chamber.

18. In an explosive firearm having a barrel, a muzzle steadierdeviceadapted to be attached to the end of said barrel, said de vice includinga continuous walled depending chamber and in communication with 'thebore of said barrel, an opening in said chamber in register with thebore of said barrel, and an opening in the top wall of said dependingchamber.

19. In an explosive firearm having a barrel, a muzzle steadier deviceadapted to be. attached to the end of said barrel, said device includinga continuous walled depending chamber and in commpnication with the boreof said. barrel, an opening in said chamber inregister with the bore vofsaid barrel, an opening in the top wall of said depending chamber, andmeans for'locking said device in a fixed position on said barrel.

In testimony whereof I have afhxed my signature.

MILLARD L. JOHNSTON.

